Manually-adjustable wind-vane sight



cm 1 96509648 SR Nav. 29, 1927. 1,650,648

C. L. PAULUS MANUALLY ADJUSTABLE WIND VANE SIGHT Filed June 27, 1923 3 wum for,

cz ww l at ented Nov. 29, 1927.

iJNlTED STATES CHARLES L. PAULU'S, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

MANUALLY-ADJ'USTABLE WIND-VANE SIGHT.

Application filed June 27,

This invention relates in general to wind vane sights and more particularly to those adapted for use on airplanes.

The object of this invention is to provide a wind vane sight mechanism which permits of ready manual adjustment to shift the sighting member in accordance with and in proportion to the air speed, the adjusting means being so constructed as to insure the sight being maintained fixedly at the point to which it has been adjusted.

It is very difficult to maintain a constant speed in flying an airplane or other aircraft, and furthermore, speeds of the various types of craft vary to such an extent that the present type of wind vane sights, which are constructed for but one air speed, in many in stances fails to give the proper lead when set for a fixed flying speed. To overcome the errors encountered in the use of such wind vane sights, I have invented a mechanism which permits of ready manual adjustment to shift the sighting member to give the proper lead for accurate firing at the particular speed at which the aircraft is to be flown.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means for insuring the alinement of the wind vane with the movable sight. I propose to construct my wind vane sight almost entirely of stamped sheet duralumin, thus providing a device exceedingly inexpensive in manufacture and simple in assembly and operation.

Other objects of my invention will appear in the accompanying specifications and claims, and will be found in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of my device.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings my device will be seen to be comprised as follows:

A sighting bead 1 is mounted on the formed duralumin sight bead standard 2, which is supported by the duralumin links 3 and 1. A sheet metal wind vane member 5 comprising both the horizontal and vertical wind vanes, is supported by the links 6, which are pivotally connected at 17 to form a toggle joint with the links 4.

The links 8, 4: and 6 are suitably attached to and maintained in position by the nuts 7 and 8, which are mounted on a screw bolt 9, in such a manner as to prevent rota- 1923. Serial No. 648,117.

tion of the nuts but allow movement of the nuts along the bolt 9 when the latter is rotated by rotating the knob 12 to which the bolt 1s connected. Thus a rotation of the knob causes the two toggle joints to diverge from parallel relation about their pivots 17, or vlce versa, according to the direction of rotation of the knob, as shown in Figure 1. By reason of the connection of the two arms 3 and 4 of the toggle joints to the sight 17 a divergence of the toggle joints retracts the sight; Willie/Th8 sight is in its furthest extended positlon when the toggle joints are in parallel relation to each other. As will be understood the greater the speed at which the gun operator is travelling the greater lead in the sight bead is necessary, the converse bemg equally true. Thus the rotation, by the operator, of the knob 12 effects an ad ustment of the sight for varying speeds at which the gunner travels.

A suitable base 13 is used to support the nuts 7 and 8, the base 13 being pivotally mounted in the gun sight socket adapter 14. The base 13 is maintained in its position through the rolled beading 15.

As will be seen by reference to Figure 2, the vertical wind vane of the wind vane member 5 is comprised of two sections suitably fastened together by a member 17 A guide rod 16 is fixedly screwed to the sight bead standard 2 at 16 as shown in Fig. 1 and bears between the pivotal connections 16 and between the two vertical wind vane members 5 to insure a perfect static balance and alinement of the wind vane sight with the movable sight member.

Suitable graduations may be made along the base member 18 corresponding to the various air speeds if desired.

I claim:

1. In a wind vane sight, a vane, a sight standard, a base plate, a single toggle means connecting said vane and standard to said plateat opposite sides thereof, having its unctlon slidable along said plate, and means for slidably adjusting the junction whereby plate may be simultaneously varied and guide means for keeping said wind vane and sight standard in alignment.

3. In a wind vane sight, a vane, a sight 5 standard, a base plate, a single toggle means connecting said vane and standard to said plate at opposite sides thereof and means ard from the plate may be simultaneously varied.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES L. PAULUS. 

